This Week in Location Context: Skyhook Speaks at RetailLoco and Digital Hollywood

We’ve had a busy month here at Skyhook, where in the last 2 months we have launched a new product, Context Accelerator, and appeared on a few video shows discussing what the future of context looks like for online ad experiences.

Last week, our VP of Marketing, Schneidermike, was invited to participate on a panel during the Digital Hollywood Conference in Los Angeles. He discussed the always connected consumer and ways to provide better, more targeted experiences and content. Fellow panel members included BeLinked, Glide, LIN Mobile, Smashing Ideas, Volectro and Brillio.

Our CEO, Jim Crowley, was also featured on a panel this past Wednesday at RetailLoco in Chicago, where he talked about mobile and location in retail with fellow participants InMarket, Mapquest and Cars.com. Read more about each panel and check out some of the event Tweets below:

Digital Hollywood: October 22, 2014

Schneidermike spoke on a panel at Digital Hollywood, an event that is a collision of technology and creative ideas centered around the entertainment industry. The event has a mix of attendees ranging from artists, creative directors, producers, actors, set designers, and celebrities like Luke Wilson. The conference is an exchange of technology ideas, including the innovation in video advertising, the cross-platform multiscreen experience, connected TVs, connected consumers, and the social TV ecosystem.

Mike's panel, “The Always Connected Consumer”, delved into the opportunities to improve experience with better content and better targeting. The conversation centered around the use of context to differentiate between ads and content. BeLinked spoke about their interest in relevant content and geofencing to provide enhanced user experiences. Glide said that the speed and ability to communicate one-to-one has encouraged a lot of entertainers to want to create channels in their apps to make them more personal. They are looking for context to personalize their apps and engage with users in an intimate and fast way. The Ad guys on the panel were interested in using context to create better experience, whether it be app usage, location, or demographics.

Schneidermike also spoke about how to transform invasive ads into relevant content with location-based context to increase conversions. Contextual information based on location enables users and advertisers to come together, understand each other, and promote a more beneficial experience. More contextual data on users allows for better targeting for brands, more relevant content for consumers, and higher value ad inventory for publishers -- so everyone wins.

Also speaking on the same day in another part of the country, Skyhook CEO Jim Crowley was featured on a panel at RetailLoco.

Hosted by the Location Based Marketing Association, RetailLoco is an event that focuses on insights and trends on the latest in mobile and location-based tools and techniques for retailers. The event featured panels on indoor location, proximity-based payments, in-store digital signage, push notifications, metrics / analytics, and more.

During Crowley’s panel talk, “Driving Traffic from Clicks to Bricks”, he spoke about how location-based marketing allows for retailers to create multiple experiences within a single retail location with in-app modes. He explained that it is the fundamental change in user experience, taking it beyond clicks and looking more at engagement. Crowley also spoke to the fact that not all location is created equal and that accurate location and context data matter in order to deliver relevant content and dynamic experiences.